"And right, too rigid, harden into wrong; "Still for the ftrong too weak, the weak too ftrong. "Yet go! and thus o'er all the creatures fway, 195 "Thus let the wifer make the rest obey: "And for thofe Arts mere Inftinct could afford, "Be crown'd as Monarchs, or as Gods ador'd." V. Great Nature spoke; obfervant Man obey'd; Cities were built, Societies were made: Here rofe one little ftate; another near 200 Grew by like means, and join'd, through love or fear. VARIATION S. Ver. 197, in the first Editions, Who for those Arts they learn'd of brutes before, Ver. 201. Here rofe one little ftate, &c.] In the MS. thus: For want alone each animal contends; Tigers with Tigers, that remov'd, are friends. Thus 210 Thus ftates were form'd; the name of King unknown, 220 VI. Till then, by Nature crown'd, each Patriarch fate, King, prieft, and parent, of his growing state: On him, their fecond Providence, they hung, Their law his eye, their oracle his tongue. He from the wondering furrow call'd the food, Taught to command the fire, controul the flood, Draw forth the monsters of th' abyfs profound, Or fetch th' aërial eagle to the ground. Till drooping, fickening, dying, they began Whom they rever'd as God to mourn as Man: Then, looking up from fire to fire, explor'd One great First Father, and that first ador'd. Or plain tradition that this All begun, 225 Convey'd unbroken faith from fire to fon; The worker from the work diftinct was known, And fimple Reason never fought but one: 230 Ere Wit oblique had broke that steady light, 235 True True faith, true policy, united ran; That was but love of God, and this of Man. 240 Who first taught fouls enflav'd, and realms undone, Th' enormous faith of many made for one; T' invert the world, and counter-work its Cause? Then fhar'd the Tyranny, then lent it aid, And Gods of Conquerors, Slaves of Subjects made : She 'midst the lightning's blaze, and thunder's found, When rock'd the mountains, and when groan'd the ground, She taught the weak to bend, the proud to pray, 250 To Power unfeen, and nightier far than they: 255 Whose attributes were Rage, Revenge, or Luft; And, form'd like tyrants, tyrants would believe. 260 And hell was built on spite, and heaven on pride. Altars grew marble then, and reek'd with gore: 265 With heaven's own thunders fhook the world below, 270 So drives Self-love, through juft, and through unjuft, All join to guard what each defires to gain. 275 280 'Twas then the ftudious head or generous mind, Follower of God, or friend of human kind, Poet or Patriot, rofe but to restore 285 The Faith and Moral, Nature gave before; That touching one must strike the other too; Till jarring interests of themfelves create Th' according mufic of a well-mix'd State. Such is the world's great harmony, that fprings 295 VOL. XLVI. F Where 300 Where fmall and great, where weak and mighty, made For Modes of Faith, let graceless zealots fight; 305 But all Mankind's concern is Charity: All must be falfe that thwarts this One great End; Yet make at once their circle round the Sun; 310 315 So two confiftent motions act the Soul; And one regards Itfelf, and one the Whole. Thus God and Nature link'd the general frame, And bade Self-love and Social be the fame. ARGUMENT |